Cushion-heel.



s. D. SMITH.

CUSHION HEEL.

APPLICATION TILED SEPT.21. p14

Patented Mar. 9, .1915.

fiTATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMmL D. SMITH, OF DEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN G. KENNEDY, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CUSHION-HEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application filed September 21, 1914. Serial No. 862,728.

T 4166 whom it may coma-n:

Be it known that I, ElAMUEL D. SMXTH, of East Dedham, in the county'ot' Norfolk and State Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cushion-Heels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cushion heels or heel treads of the kind usually known as rubber heels. Such heels are in great demand in spite of their lack of durability. Attempts have been made to increase their wearing qualities but, so far asI am aware, all such attempts have either impaired the resilience of the heels or have resulted in the leaving of cavities Which soon get packed with dirt.

The object of my invention is to provide a cushion heel having wear-resisting plugs in those portions of the tread surface which are usually-first worn down, the plugs being of form which present solid wear surf aces that wear well and prevent the pickmg up of dirt, the whole being so constructed that the elasticity of the heel is not lessened tyne presence of the plugs.

,"As so far described, the object is substantially the same as explained in my Patent 1,114,302, October 20, 1914. I have found, however, that it is further desirable to provide means for more positively anchoring the plugs'so that they cannot work laterally out ofthe body of the heel. This is more particularly desirable when the plugs are located very close to the margin of the heel.

Therefore, a further object of my present invention to provide means for preventing lateral or outward movement of the plugs, while still permitting said plugs to yield vertically when the heel is in use.

To these ends my invention consists in the improved cushion heel or tread which I shall now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom view of an elastic heel or treadembodying my invention, the anchor being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 represents 2, 3 and 4 are all on the same enlarged scale. Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are detail views any of the compositions used for elastic or cushion heels or heel-treads, is shown as formed-with holes 13 as usual for the nails which secure the said body to the heel portion of a shoe, or to leather heel-lifts. Such holes may extend entirely or but partially through the body. They constitute no part of this invention. In fact the body may be secured in place by any suitable means. At the rear of the heel, which is the portion that. first shows wear, is a row of Wear-resisting plugs having solid heads 14 sub stantially flush with the tread surface. The shanks 15 of the plugs are preferably also solid a portion of their length. The inner end of each plug is flanged as at 16, and the head is of greater diameter than the shank to form a flange 17 which is preferably'of greater diameter than the flange 16. In alinement with the cavity 18 of the plug, the body is formed With a hole or recess 19 extending to the upper surface of the body.

In the manufacture of the article, the plugs are supported by pins rising from the bottom of a mold, said pins fitting the cavities 18 of the plugs which then of course, present their heads 14: upwardly, the material of the body is then caused to fill the mold and to enter the spaces around the shanks between the flanges 16, 17 and then vulcanized. \Vhen the article is removed from the mold, the holes 19 are the result of the presence in the mold of the plug-supporting pins mentioned. These holes 19, however, are deliberately formed in the body 12 to perform the service, when the article is in use, of. reducing the solidity of the elastic substance above the plugs, to permit the plugs to yield more readily when the user is walking than they could if the body were solid above the plugs. In other words, the holes 19 compensate for hardness of the plugs so that the elasticity of the heel is not impaired by the plugs. .Of course, when the body is secured in place so tightly that no air can escape from the holes 19, the confined air causes an additional cushioning eflect. No air can escape around the plugs owing to the flanges16, l7, and the material of the bodv' which is packed between said flanges. Both flanges act to prevent. theplug from being forced up into the hole 19. lVhen the weight of the wearer causes the material of the body to be compressed, tending to force the plugs into the body, the fact that the flange 17 is larger than the flange 16 causes the material of the body to be pressed more'firmly in between'the two flanges.

It will readily be understood that if the plugs are embedded in the body close to the margin of the-latter, there might be some liability of the-plugs being pulled out, especially after the heel has been Worn 'for some time. The anchorage illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 consists of a plate 20 having apertures 21 sufficiently larger thanythe diameter ofthe shanks 15 of the wear studs to enable the studs to slide through said apertures. "In order :to assemble these studs of the type illustrated, with an anchorage of this form,

-pushed along with some force. This is in order that when the series of plugs have been placed in the guiding aperturesi21, the plate 20, with the entire series of plugs, may be picked up as a unit and placed properly" in the mold. When 1"; some of the rubber wil .v con 1. pass into the large apertures and :.-..0 ti. throats. 22 of'the plate so that said plate is retained in place. However, a hole such as indicated at 23 may be employed in such position as to be in alinement with one of the holes 13 of the body 12 so that an attaching nail passed therethrough will positively hold the plate against edgewise movement.

As-shown in Fig. 5 the anchorage may comprise apiece-of wire 20 bent ,as indicated to. provide guiding apertures for the shanks15'of the studs. When the anchorage is of this construction, the sidesof the loops of the wire which hold 'the'shanks 15 may be curved inwardly somewhat that the studs can be slid or snapped to the position indicated in Fig. .5 when the studs are i being assembled with the anchorage.

Instead of providing a single anchorage for a series of studs, I may provide "a single strip such as indicated at 20 in Figs. 6 and 7, said strip being bent at one end to be en-' gaged with the body and having an aperture at its other end through which the shank 15 of astud, having a head 14- may be inserted, the other end of the shank 15 mi. mg 18 done, v

being then headed over in any well-known I manner.

The wear stud may be integral with the anchor as indicated in Fig. 8 which illusprovide wear stud heads li The hole or holes 13 may either receive some of the rubber when the article is being molded, or one or more attaching nails may be driven through such holes.

- When either'of the forms shown in Figs.

so located in the body l2'that the wearresisting members 14, 14, 14, or 14 will be located in the lower ends of the holes 19, in substantially the position occupied by the wear-resisting members 14 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. 5 p 'It is to be understood that with eachuif the forms of anchors employed, the method -form tongues which are then bent over to I 5, 6, 7 8, and 9 is employed,-it--is, of course,

of assembling them with the rubber material in the manufacture of the completed heels will preferably be as hereinbefore described. Each form provides means for preventing outward movement of the wear head or stud and keeps the latter in line with the hole 19 for the purpose hereinbefore described. I

I am aware that tubular wear-pieces,open attheir outer ends, have been embedded'in rubber heels, said pieces also serving as washers for heel-attaching nails,.but such devices 'pick up dirt and mar carpets. and polished floors, and impair the resilience, of the rubber. I am also aware thatit has been proposed to provide leathersoles with holes an'dfill or partially fill the holes with solid plugs, but such plugs do not yield becausethe leather is not sufliciently elastic. And I am also aware that solid plugs have been embedded in rubber soles and heels, the plugs extending entirely through from one surface to the other of the rubber. Obviously this entirely destroys any cushioning effect of the rubber. I do not claim any member embedded therein, said member hav ing a series of guiding'aperti res in acurved,

row, and a series of"wear resistingmembers hav1ng shank V porti in's slidablyengaged in said apertures. P

2. A cushion heel comprising an elastic body having holes extending upwardlyfrom' its tread surface, a wear-resisting member secured in the lower end of each hole and having a length less than the depth ofsaid holes to permit the heel to be compressed Without lessening the cushioning effect by the plugs, and anchoring means for preventing outward displacement of said members, said anchoring means extending in a direction away from the margin of the heel and embedded in the elastic body.

3. A cushion heel having holes extending upwardly from its tread surface, a wearresisting member secured in the lower end of each hole and having a length less than the depth of said holes to permit the heel to be compressed Without lessening the cushioning efiect by the plugs, and an anchoring member for preventing outward displacement of said wear-resisting members, said latter members being loosely connected with the anchoring member to permit them to move vertically independently of the anchoring member.

body,having a plurality of wear-resisting members near its margin, and a single ansurfaces,

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my 30 signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

SAMUEL D. SMITH.

Witnesses:

FRED W. McARnm, ARTHUR F. RANDALL.

20 l. A cushion heel comprising an elastic.- 

